FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to some popular questions about Natalie’s tutoring services. You also can view her tutoring policies and terms of service. If you can’t find your question below, please contact her directly at tutoring@countwrite.com or by calling (517) 786-6141 during her contact hours.

How does scheduling work?

No more back-and-forth messaging or texting about matching availability! You get to choose the days and times we meet. To book lessons week by week, you see my availability first and pay at the time of booking on my booking page. If you prefer to reserve the same day(s)/time(s) each week for lessons, you will need to book those days/times in advance, for up to a month at a time. The entire process takes less than 5 minutes!

How does payment work?

I bill through Stripe, where all forms of payment are accepted. All scheduled lessons are billed at the time of booking and prepaid in advance; every lesson falls under the terms of my cancellation policy. See my current rates on my Pricing page and my scheduling policies on my Policies page.

How do we get started with tutoring? Is there a sign-up page?

Email, phone, or WhatsApp are the best ways to contact me if you have any questions or concerns prior to booking a first lesson. If you are ready to schedule, please visit my booking page to sign up for a first lesson.

Do you have any policies or fees besides your lesson rate?

There are no extra or hidden fees outside of my hourly lesson rates. For more information about my policies and refunds, please visit my Policies page.

Do you make clients sign contracts before they can schedule lessons with you?

No, I do not have any contracts, and I do not ask my clients sign any documents. However, when you schedule lessons with me, you automatically agree to abide by all of the policies on my Policies page.

How will I know if you and my child are a good fit?

Our first lesson is where we do a meet-and-greet. For the first 10-15 minutes of our lesson, you can talk to me about any questions and concerns you might have. You are welcome to sit in on the rest of the lesson as a silent observer as I work with your child to see how well we get along as tutor and student. If for any reason you feel that we are not a good fit, you are in no way obligated to continue lessons.

How does online tutoring work?

Convenience and accessibility are two of the many pros of online tutoring. You can have lessons anywhere, at any time, and there’s no need to commute. I design my own lessons and customize them to fit the needs of every student. Lessons are always one-on-one, and each lesson is 60 minutes long. All the platforms I use for video calling and whiteboards are free and easy to open.

Can you really learn online as much as you learn in-person?

Absolutely! Online tutoring is different from in-person tutoring, but it is in no way inferior. Online lessons can be even more productive and focused. For example, young children go through a variety of activities during our online sessions to hold their short attention span, and we can get much more done in 1 hour of online tutoring than we ever could in-person.

How do you determine or assess where students need help?

I do ask all students what they have been working on at school, their academic performance in math or ELA, any specific struggle areas or special needs, what they’ve done so far for test prep, upcoming test dates, etc. Depending on a student’s grade level or age, I also use a variety of online assessments and placement tests, and I require all students interested in test prep to take a practice test before our first lesson. Anything you feel I need to know before we start lessons — please tell me. I do my best to accommodate everyone.

Do you have any expectations for the students you tutor?

I expect commitment. For test prep, that means sticking to a reasonable, regular study and practice plan with reachable goals and not slacking. For all other tutoring, that means students doing homework that you ask me to assign them to keep up skills practice and concept review. Parents need to be accountable for their children’s progress.

Do you offer classes or programs?

No, I do not have a one-size-fits-all approach or set curriculum for everyone to follow. I offer one-to-one tutoring (lessons), not classes or programs. A teacher teaches classes with many students, while it is up to the discretion of every tutor to design a class (or group lesson, which is similar to a class in format). A class includes lesson plans and curriculum, while tutoring adjusts to the needs of every student with no fixed plans.

Do you provide any materials or resources?

I do my best to provide free practice tests, worksheets, and online resource access to each and every student upon request. I recommend homework as well for maximum learning reinforcement. I also ask parents to purchase outside resources (workbooks, textbooks, or test prep books) if necessary.